New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has told a special court that the deadly attack on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam was part of a conspiracy planned in Pakistan, according to a chargesheet filed in the case.
The incident occurred on April 22 last year in the Baisaran Valley area of Pahalgam, where three terrorists allegedly asked victims about their religion and opened fire, killing civilians and triggering nationwide shock.
The NIA’s 1,597-page chargesheet states that the plot was orchestrated by Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed along with Habibullah Malik, identified as the head of The Resistance Front (TRF). Security forces later shot dead the three attackers—Sulaimani Shah alias Faisal Jatt, Zibran alias Habib Tahir, and Hamza Afghani—on July 29.
Investigators said the trio stayed in a house in the Baisaran Valley area with help from a local man, Bashir Ahmed. They reportedly spoke in Urdu mixed with Punjabi, kept their belongings there, and prepared food the next day.
Before carrying out the attack, the terrorists allegedly ate under a tree, covered their identities using a blanket from their bag, and split up to observe the area from near a stream. They then retrieved their items, re-entered the park and opened fire, later hiding at a spot while fleeing and shooting at people who arrived there. The chargesheet also claims they spared one person after questioning him about Muslim practices, and fired celebratory shots while exiting the park, believing their plan had succeeded.
